General notes you should be aware of when importing product records from a CSV file and troubleshooting tips if your import fails for any reason.
Troubleshoot common issues when importing products via a CSV file.
This article includes troubleshooting steps for issues related to importing products via a CSV file as well as some useful tips to help ensure importing your products goes smoothly. Expand a section title in the below list to view the reason the issue occurs and the action to take to resolve the issue.
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Use the provided
ProductImportSample.csvfile: Create your product import CSV file using the provided ShipStation CSV template. This ensures that the file is formatted correctly and that it contains all of the required information. -
Do not change the headers: Do not make any changes to the text or change the order of the columns in the header row (row 1) of the pre-formatted CSV template. Doing so will cause the product import to fail.
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Product Aliases are imported separately: Please see ShipStation's Product Aliases article for detailed information on how to import product aliases.
Here are some things to keep in mind when importing product aliases:
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SKU and Alias fields are required
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The store name values must match the store names in ShipStation exactly.
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You cannot convert an existing SKU to an alias using the alias CSV import. Use the Combine Products option instead.
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The Issue
After importing products via a CSV file, some of the product information is missing. The fields are blank.
The Cause
Data in ShipStation is overwritten by the data imported from a CSV file.
When importing a CSV, blank fields in the CSV file will cause the corresponding field to be blank in ShipStation. The exceptions to this are Tags (which can be added via CSV import, but not removed) and the Active indicator (if left blank, the product will remain either Active or Inactive, depending on its status before import).
The Fix
Ensure that all of the fields in the CSV file are filled in for the products being imported.
The Issue
After importing products via a CSV, some of the details for product records already in ShipStation are now incorrect.
The Cause
Data in ShipStation is overwritten by the data imported from a CSV file.
Product CSV files imported into ShipStation that contain the same SKU as a product already in ShipStation will update the existing product information.
The Fix
Ensure that the product CSV file being imported into ShipStation includes only the product information you wish to be added or updated.